Pigeon Help Needed A.s.a.p

[ChickenMama6]

I have 2 pigeons, 1 male and 1 female. I got them about 6 weeks ago. They got along fine, they even have their second clutch already.

-OK THE PROBLEM-
My male keeps going after my female. Today while she got of the eggs to get a drink he started to attack her.
Pulling her feathers, pecking her in the face and just plain up harassing her.

I separated them and she went back to sit on the eggs, but the male is very anxious. I mean I know why, She is his. But what can I do so he'll quit hurting her?
He's been doing this for about week. He's pulled a fair amount of feathers out too. I'll come in to check on them and his beak and claws are full of feathers that stuck to his face and claws. At first I though those were his from grooming himself but They're hers!

I don't like keeping them apart, She needs his help with the eggs. Will he attack the Sqeakers when they hatch or just keep attacking the Mom?


I need help ASAP. Thanks

-xoxo, ChickenMa

 

[Curtiejlee]

I'm thinking somebody is hormonal... Some of my pairs will peck at the faces of their mates to try to get them to submit for mating purposes. I would separate them.

 

[ChickenMama6]

OK, thanks for the info :3 What about the eggs though? Can the Female take care of them herself?

 

[Hokum Coco]

What about the eggs though? Can the Female take care of them herself?

To be honest I never had that situation arise in my loft where the ♂ began to batter the ♀. I have had single parents incubate and raise young however.

It is a dicey situation if you separate them. The answer in my experience is sometimes Yes; Sometimes No. I had young first time ♀ hatch and rear their young on their own and older experienced ♀ abandon the nest. I also had ♂ raise their squabs to adulthood as a single parent. This happens regularly in the raising of squabs as the ♂ usually takes over feeding the young birds while the ♀ is incubating the next clutch. I never had a ♂ incubate his own eggs solo.

 

[jak2002003]

Do they have enough space and exorcise?

Its normal for the male to chase and peck at the female when she is off the nest... he is trying to get her back onto the eggs ASAP.

Once he takes his turn to brood the eggs she gets some peace and quiet.

If they are in a large loft or aviary, then the male chasing her will not be a problem as she can just keep running and flying away from him.

But in a small cage she can not get away.

Also if the male is not getting enough free flying exorcise or in not able to fly up and down in a flight he will have too much pent up energy and his attacks will be worse.

If they have a big place to live and fly about in.. and he is still attacking her and pulling out her feathers, then you need to separate him. Then you should throw away the eggs and give her fake eggs to sit on. It will be heart breaking for you if the eggs hatched and she abandoned the young, or could not feed them enough.

Do you have any other pigeons? If the male can see other males near his nest he will attack the female much worse to make sure she stays on the nest and not allow the other males to mate with her.